Methods for transferring supercritical fluids in microelectronic and other industrial processes

ABSTRACT

A method of displacing a supercritical fluid from a pressure vessel (e.g., in a microelectronic manufacturing process), comprises the steps of: providing an enclosed pressure vessel containing a first supercritical fluid (said supercritical fluid preferably comprising carbon dioxide); adding a second fluid (typically also a supercritical fluid) to said vessel, with said second fluid being added at a pressure greater than the pressure of the first supercritical fluid, and with said second fluid having a density less than that of the first supercritical fluid; forming an interface between the first supercritical fluid and the second fluid; and displacing at least a portion of the first supercritical fluid from the vessel with the pressure of the second, preferably fluid while maintaining the interface therebetween.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/951,247 filed Sep. 13, 2001, Ser. No. 09/951,092, filed Sep. 13, 2001, Ser. No. 09/951,249 filed Sep. 13, 2001 and Ser. No. 09/951,259 filed Sep. 13, 2001, all of which are continuations in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/932,063, filed Aug. 17, 2001, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,562,146, which in turn claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/269,026, filed Sep. 15, 2001;

[0002] and this application further claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/442,867, filed Jan. 27, 2003;

[0003] the disclosures of all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention concerns methods and apparatus for transferring fluids during manufacturing processes, such processes including but not limited to removing water and aqueous-borne solutes, and removing contaminants or process byproducts from substrates such as semiconductor substrates, MEM's, or optoelectronic devices with liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide. Additionally, these processes include but are not limited to application of metal or metalloid precursors, polymels, monomers, or small molecules to semiconductor substrates , MEM's, or optoelectronic devices with liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Production of integrated circuits, microelectronic devices, and micro-electro mechanical devices, (MEM's) involve multiple processing steps many of which incorporate water as either a carrier of chemistry, or a media to facilitate the removal of process byproducts. The evolution of materials and processes has been lead by a drive toward smaller feature sizes and more complex microdevices. In some cases, the use of water in these evolving processes has resulted in challenges whereby deleterious effects of water and byproducts carried by water have been seen. The unique physical properties of dense carbon dioxide in a liquid or supercritical state are of particular interest in preventing certain of these pitfalls.

[0006] One such process where dense CO₂ is of practical application relates to prevention of surface tension or capillary force induced image collapse. This is of particular interest during the aqueous development of micro-lithographic images using photoresists. Photoresists are photosensitive films used for transfer of images to a substrate. A coating layer of a photoresist is formed on a substrate and the photoresist layer is then exposed, through a photomask or by other techniques, to a source of activating radiation. Exposure to activating radiation provides a photoinduced chemical transfornation of the photoresist coating to thereby transfer the pattern of the photomask (or other pattern generator) to the photoresist coated substrate. Following exposure, the photoresist is developed to provide a relief image that permits selective processing of a substrate. See. e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,997.

[0007] A photoresist can be either positive-acting or negative-acting. For negative acting resists, the solubility of the exposed region is decreased such that it remains on the wafer during development while the non-exposed region is removed. For positive acting resists the solubility of the exposed region increases in the developer solution, so it is removed during the development step leaving the unexposed region unaffected. Positive and negative acting resist materials typically incorporate chemical functionality that undergoes a transformation upon exposure to UV light at a given wavelength. The transformation is often referred to as a “polarity switch” because polymer polarity increases or decreases are often the driving force for changes in the solubility of the polymer in the developing solution. This transformation is facilitated by the incorporation of photoacid generators (PAG's) or photobase generators (PGB's) into the resist compositions. The acid and base moieties are typically generated upon exposure to the appropriate source of radiation followed by heat. The developer solutions are typically aqueous, and are typically dried from the substrate before further processing.

[0008] Capillary forces present in the aqueous drying of imaged resist patterns can result in resist deformation and pattern collapse. This problem becomes particularly serious as lithography techniques move toward smaller image nodes with larger aspect ratios. Researchers have suggested that collapse problems associated with aqueous drying will affect the 130-nm technology node, and will become more prevalent in subsequent technologies as aspect ratios increase.

[0009] Researchers at both IBM and NTT have suggested that the use of carbon dioxide in supercritical resist drying (SRD) may reduce image collapse and film damage. See, e.g., H. Namatsu, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 18(6), 3308-3312 (2000); D. Goldfarb et al., J. Vac. Sci. Technol B. 18(6) 3313-3317 (2000). However, while the absence of surface tension and the accessible critical temperature and pressure of CO₂ have been touted as positives factors for this drying approach, the relatively low solubility of water in the supercritical phase has also been described as a challenge that may necessitate the use of chemical adjuncts to increase the transport capacity of the fluid. Researchers at IBM and NTT have demonstrated the use of certain surfactants in supercritical fluid-aided drying. However, the surfactant is described as being incorporated into a hexane pre-rinse in “indirect SRD” See, e.g., Goldfarb et al., supra, or only particular surfactants have been incorporated into the carbon dioxide in “direct SRD”. In both the direct and indirect drying methods the choice of surfactants and co-solvents is limited by what is described as compatibility issues leading to resist damage. Accordingly, there remains a need for new approaches to SRD using carbon dioxide.

[0010] Another problem with drying of surfaces on microelectronic substrates (e.g. photoresist coated semiconductor wafers, MEMS, opto-electronic devices, photonic devices, flat panel displays, etc) is the complete removal of aqueous processing, cleaning or rinsing solutions without leaving a residue, commonly referred to as a drying watermark. These watermarks result from the concentration of solutes in the aqueous processing, cleaning, or drying fluid, as said fluid is dried. In many microelectronic, optical, micro-optical, or MEMS structures this watermark can negatively impact the manufacturing yield or ultimate performance of the device. There needs to be an effective method to remove (clean) water-based fluids from surfaces that eliminates the concentration and ultimate deposition of entrained solutes—eliminating watermarks.

[0011] One such challenge comes in the manufacturing of MEM's devices. Wet-processing steps generally culminate with a rinse and dry step. Evaporative drying causes water with low levels of solutes that is pooled on the surface and in various micro-features to concentrate in locations that maximize the surface area of the pool. As a result, these drying steps can lead to the concentration of once dissolved solutes in close proximity to or on motive parts. The deposited materials which can be organic or inorganic in nature contribute to stiction, the locking of the motive part such that it cannot be actuated. “Release stiction” as it is termed during the manufacturing step results, is believed to be derived from adhesive and Van der Waals forces and friction. The forces generated by this phenomenon can completely incapacitate motive parts on MEM's devices.

[0012] To combat stiction manufacturers of MEM's devices use solvents such as small chain alcohols that reduce surface tension during the rinse step and facilitate a more even drying process. However, these steps alone have not eliminated the occurrence of stiction. Supercritical CO₂ has been proposed for drying microstructures, (see Gregory T. Mulhern “Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Drying of Micro Structures”) where surface tension forces can cause damage. Researchers at Texas Instruments Inc. among others (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,801) have demonstrated that supercritical CO₂ can be used to clean organic and inorganic contaminants from MEM's devices prior to a pacification step, thus limiting stiction.

[0013] These technologies utilizing supercritical CO₂ do not limit stictionl by combination of drying and cleaning where water and solutes are removed simultaneously so to avoid the concentration of water and solutes at specific site. Technologies are needed that can prevent release stiction through an integrated process of drying, cleaning, and surface pacification.

[0014] Other examples of drying and cleaning challenges related to aqueous wet-processing steps come in the formation of deep vias for interlayer metalization in the production of integrated circuits. These vias, formed by methods known to those familiar with the art, typically have large critical aspect ratios creating geometries that can be difficult to clean residues from. Furthermore, wet-processing steps and rinses with traditional fluids such as water leave once dissolved solutes behind upon evaporative drying. These solutes deposited at the bottom of the vias can inhibit conduction upon metalization lowering functional yields.

[0015] Technologies are needed that remove water (dry) and dissolved solutes (clean) from vias after wet processing steps, thus reducing yield losses.

[0016] Additionally, the emergence of porous dielectric materials used in manufacturing integrated circuits will require that a cleaning media be able to ideally wet smaller and smaller feature size to remove device damaging contaminants and process byproducts without damaging structure or materials. Dense fluid CO2 is desirable because of low or no surface tension and very low viscosity. However, chemical adjuncts such as co-solvents, surfactants, oxidants, etchants, and stabilizers, must be effectively removed after they serve the cleaning need. This can be very challenging in a fluid with excellent transport properties and variable solvent properties as a function of temperature and pressure. This fluctuation of solvency can result in the unwanted deposition of materials into and on these porous substrates without effective rinsing. What is needed is a process that allows for the efficient and effective removal of not only contaminants and process byproducts but also chemical reagents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The present invention provides a method of displacing a supercritical fluid from a pressure vessel, comprising the steps of:

[0018] providing an enclosed pressure vessel containing a first supercritical fluid (said supercritical fluid preferably comprising carbon dioxide);

[0019] adding a second fluid (typically also a supercritical fluid) to said vessel, with said second fluid being added at a pressure greater than the pressure of the first supercritical fluid, and with said second fluid having a density less than that of the first supercritical fluid;

[0020] forming an interface between the first supercritical fluid and the second fluid; and

[0021] displacing at least a portion of the first supercritical fluid from the vessel with the pressure of the second, preferably fluid while maintaining the interface therebetween.

[0022] An aspect of the present invention is a method of cleaning a microelectronic device, comprising the steps of: providing a substrate having a surface portion to be cleaned, providing a densified carbon dioxide cleaning composition, the composition comprising carbon dioxide and a cleaning adjunct, the cleaning adjunct selected from the group consisting of cosolvents, surfactants, etchanants, oxidants, chelants, stabilizers and combinations thereof; immersing the surface portion in the densified carbon dioxide composition; and then removing said cleaning composition from the surface portion; while maintaining the cleaning composition as a homogenous composition during at least one of said immersing step and said removing step. Examples of devices that may be cleaned by the present invention include, but are not limited to, dielectric containing semiconductor substrates, metal (copper) containing semiconductor substrates, integrated circuits, microelectromechanical devices (MEBMs), optoelectronic devices, and resist-coated substrates.

[0023] In a particular embodiment the present invention provides a method for removing water or cleaning a substrate, such as removing water entrained solutes, etch process byproducts, metal residues, or protoresist from a microelectronic device (such as a semiconductor substrate), a MEMs device, or an opto-electronic device. In general, the method comprises the steps of. (a) providing a substrate, in some embodiments the substrate having patterns or features formed thereon (the substrate composed of, for example, metals, semiconductors, insulators or dielectrics, photoresists, and combinations thereof, such as a silicon wafer during the manufacture of an integrated circuit), with the substrate having water or other material to be cleaned therefrom (e.g., processing byproducts such etch residues, etch hardened photoresist, and CMP residues); (b) providing a densified (e.g., liquid or supercritical) carbon dioxide drying or cleaning composition, tile composition comprising carbon dioxide and optionally but preferably adjuncts, the adjuncts selected from the group consisting of cosolvents, surfactants, and combinations thereof; (c) immersing the surface portion in the densified carbon dioxide cleaning/drying composition; and then (d) removing the drying or cleaning composition from the surface portion.

[0024] Various particular embodiments of the invention are discussed further below.

[0025] Cyclic phase modulation. A further aspect of the present invention is a method of cleaning a microelectronic device, to remove soluble material, particulate matter, and/or contaminants, etc. The method comprises the steps of: providing a substrate having, a surface portion to be cleaned, providing a densified carbon dioxide cleaning composition, the composition comprising carbon dioxide and, optionally but preferably a cleaning adjunct, the cleaning adjunct selected from the group consisting of cosolvents, surfactants, and combinations thereof; immersing the surface portion in the densified carbon dioxide composition to thereby clean the surface portion; and then removing said cleaning composition from the surface portion. The immersing/cleaning step described above is preferably carried out with cyclical phase modulation, as explained in greater detail below, during some or all of that step.

[0026] Aqueous cleaning systems. A further aspect of the present invention is a method of cleaning a microelectronic device, comprising, the steps of: providing a substrate having a surface portion to be cleaned, providing a densified carbon dioxide cleaning composition, the composition comprising carbon dioxide and water. Optionally, but preferably, one or more cleaning adjuncts are included in the cleaning composition, in an amount sufficient to facilitate cleaning of the article to be cleaned. Suitable cleaning adjuncts include, for example, cosolvents, surfactants, water-soluble cleaning adjuncts, and combinations thereof. The next steps of the method comprise immersing the surface portion in the densified carbon dioxide cleaning composition to thereby clean the article, and then removing said cleaning composition from the surface portion.

[0027] Particulate cleaning. A further aspect of the present invention is a method of cleaning/removing solid particulates from a microelectronic device, the method comprising the steps of: providing a substrate having a surface portion to be cleaned, providing a densified carbon dioxide cleaning composition, the composition comprising carbon dioxide and, optionally but preferably a cleaning adjunct, the cleaning adjunct selected from the group consisting of cosolvents, surfactants, and combinations thereof; immersing the surface portion in the densified carbon dioxide composition for a time sufficient to remove solid particulate contaminants therefrom; and then removing said cleaning composition from the surface portion. Particulate contamination of a substrate may be found, for example, following chemical-mechanical planarization of a substrate.

[0028] Control of contaminant redeposition. In one preferred embodiment, process parameters are preferably controlled so that the drying and/or cleaning composition is maintained as a homogeneous composition during the immersing step, the removing step, or both the immersing and removing step, without substantial deposition of the drying adjunct or the aqueous entrained solutes on the resist coating, the patterned feature, or the mechanical, electrical, or optical components of the device or circuit.

[0029] The present invention is explained in greater detail in the drawings and specification set forth below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030]FIG. 1 shows a substrate having a patterned resist layer formed thereon, with water present in various locations thereon.

[0031]FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an apparatus for carrying out the methods of the present invention.

[0032]FIG. 3 depicts a phase diagram of predominantly CO₂ system representing the transition from a predominantly CO₂ supercritical mixture to a gas avoiding a liquid phase.

[0033]FIG. 4 schematically illustrates an apparatus for carrying out the methods of the present invention.

[0034]FIG. 5 schematically illustrates another embodiment of an apparatus for carrying out the methods of the present invention.

[0035]FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a substrate in a pressure cell, the substrate having a thin film of a supercritical fluid deposited thereon.

[0036]FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a process for forming the product illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0037]FIG. 8 shows the addition of helium to the top of a pressure cell containing supercritical carbon dioxide at a pressure of 2,500 psig, with the supercritical carbon dioxide being forced out of the cell through a drain at the bottom of the cell. The photograph is taken through a viewing port in the cell from a slightly elevated position.

[0038]FIG. 9 is essentially the same as FIG. 8, except that it is taken at a later point in time after additional helium has been added.

[0039]FIG. 10 shows the addition of supercritical carbon dioxide fluid to a pressure cell filled with supercritical helium. Note that the supercritical carbon dioxide appears to fall in a stream through the helium to the bottom of the cell.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0040] The present invention is explained in greater detail below. This description is not intended to be a detailed catalog of all the different ways in which the invention may be implemented, or all the features that may be added to the instant invention. For example, features illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated into other embodiments, and features illustrated with respect to a particular embodiment may be deleted from that embodiment. In addition, numerous variations and additions to the various embodiments suggested herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the instant disclosure which do not depart from the instant invention. Hence, the following specification is intended to illustrate some particular embodiments of the invention, and not to exhaustively specify all permutations, combinations and variations thereof.

[0041] An interface as described herein is, in general, visually detectable (that is, discernible by the naked human eye) or optically detectable (that is, detectable by optical detection systems) due to the change or difference in refractive index between the first and second fluids. The interface need not be an absolute transition but may be a region having a depth or thickness in which a transition from one fluid to the other occurs. For example, in a vessel having a length dimension along which the first supercritical fluid is displaced (that is, the total length or internal dimension of the vessel, and not merely the distance of travel of the interface during the process), the thickness or depth of the interface may be about 5, 10, 15 or 20 percent of the length dimension of the vessel. This thickness may be measured as the distance between a first point or location along the length dimension within the vessel in which the composition of the vessel's contents consists of or consists essentially of the first supercritical fluid (e.g., a region comprising, by weight, of at least 90, 95, or 99 percent of the first supercritical fluid), through a zone of mixed composition of the first and second fluids, to a second point or location along the length dimension within the vessel in which the composition of the vessel's contents consist of or consists essentially of the second fluid (e.g., a region comprising, by weight, of at least 90, 95, or 99 percent of the second fluid). Thus, depending upon the size of the vessel in which the process is carried out, which may be relatively small or relatively large depending upon the volume of the vessel and the purpose of the process, the interface may for example have a thickness of 0.01, 0.1 or 1 millimeters up to 10 or 20 millimeters or more; a thickness of 1, 5 or 10 millimeters up to 100, 200 or 300 millimeters or more; a thickness of 10, 20 or 30 millimeters up to 300, 500 or 1000 millimeters or more; etc. It will be appreciated that an interface may be “maintained” during a displacing step of the present invention yet fluctuate in thickness, typically within the ranges described above, during the displacing process; it will also be appreciated that the interface may be “maintained” for a displacing step during only a portion of a larger process in which the particular invention described herein is carried out.

[0042] The present invention may be utilized to transfer or displace a supercritical fluid in a variety of different manufacturing processes, including but not limited to cleaning processes, coating processes, reaction processes such as polymerization processes, lithographic processes, extraction processes, etc.

[0043] Examples of devices that may be cleaned by the present invention include, but are not limited to, dielectric containing semiconductor substrates, metal (copper) containing semiconductor substrates, integrated circuits, microelectromechlanical devices (MEMs), optoelectronic devices, and resist-coated substrates. The resist typically comprises a polymeric material, and may be a positive-acting resist or a negative-acting resist. The resist may be patterned or unpatterned, developed or undeveloped at the time the drying process is carried out.

[0044] Any suitable resist composition can be used to carry out the present invention, including but not limited to those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,042,997; 5,866,304; 5,492,793; 5,443,690; 5,071,730; 4,980,264; and 4,491,628. Applicants specifically intend that the disclosures of all United States patent references that are cited herein be incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0045] The resist compositions may be applied to the substrate as a liquid compositions in accordance with generally known procedures, such as by spinning, dipping, roller coating or other conventional coating technique. When spin coating, the solids content of the coating solution can be adjusted to provide a desired film thickness based upon the specific spinning equipment utilized, the viscosity of the solution, the speed of the spinner and the amount of time allowed for spinning.

[0046] The resist compositions are suitably applied to substrates conventionally used in processes involving coating with photoresists. For example, the composition may be applied over silicon wafers (that may include one or more layers thereon such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, polysiloxand and/or metal, etc.) for the production of microprocessors and other integrated circuit components. Aluminum-aluminum oxide, gallium arsenide, ceramic, quartz or copper substrates also may be employed. Substrates used for liquid crystal display and other flat panel display applications are also suitably employed, e.g. glass substrates, indium tin oxide coated substrates and the like.

[0047] Following coating of the photoresist onto a surface, it is dried by heating to remove the solvent until preferably the photoresist coating is tack free. Alternatively it may be dried by the procedures described herein. Thereafter, it is imaged in a conventional manner. The exposure is sufficient to effectively activate the photoactive component of the photoresist system to produce a patterned image in the resist coating layer.

[0048] Following exposure, the film layer of the composition may be baked. Thereafter, the film is developed by contacting the film resist layer to any suitable developer solution (the choice of which will depend in part upon the particular choice of resist material). For example, the developer may be a polar developer, for example an aqueous based developer such as an inorganic alkali exemplified by sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium silicate, sodium metasilicate; quaternary ammonium hydroxide solutions such as a tetra-alkyl ammonium hydroxide solution; various amine solutions such as ethyl amine, n-propyl amine, diethyl amine, di-n-propyl amine, triethyl amine, or methyldiethyl amine; alcohol amines such as diethanol amine or triethanol amine; cyclic amines such as pyrrole, pyridine, etc. In general, development is in accordance with art recognized procedures. After development the resist is optionally rinsed (for example with an aqueous rinse) and is then dried, preferably by the drying procedures described herein.

[0049] Following development of the photoresist coating over the substrate, the developed substrate may be selectively processed on those areas bared of resist, for example by chemically etching or depositing on substrate areas bared of resist in accordance with procedures known in the art. For the manufacture of microelectronic substrates, e.g., the manufacture of silicon dioxide wafers, suitable etchants include a gas etchant, e.g. a chlorine or fluorine-based etchant such a CF₄ or CF₄/CHF₃ etchant applied as a plasma stream, in accordance with known techniques.

[0050] Coating compositions are discussed further below. Carbon-dioxide cleaning drying or cleaning compositions used to carry out the present invention typically comprise:

[0051] (a) carbon dioxide to balance, typically at least 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60 percent;

[0052] (b) from 0, 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, 1 or 2 percent to 5 or 10 percent or more of surfactant;

[0053] (c) from 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1 or 2 to 30, 40 or 50 percent or more of an organic co-solvent;

[0054] (d) optionally, but in some embodiments preferably, from 0, 0.01, or 0.1 to 2, 5 or 10 percent water; and

[0055] (e) when water is included a water-soluble compound/cleaning adjunct to be delivered is included in an amount sufficient to facilitate cleaning of the substrate.

[0056] Preferably at least one of the surfactant and/or the co-solvent is included (e.g., by at least 0.01 percent) in the cleaning/drying composition, and optionally both a surfactant and a co-solvent may be included in the composition. Water may or may not be included in the composition, depending upon the particular cleaning application and the nature of the substrate. Percentages herein are expressed as percentages by weight unless otherwise indicated.

[0057] The cleaning/drying composition may be provided as a liquid or supercritical fluid, including cryogenic liquids. Liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide are herein together referred to as “densified” carbon dioxide in accordance with established usage.

[0058] The organic co-solvent may be one compound or a mixture of two or more ingredients The organic co-solvent may be or comprise an alcohol (including diols, triols, etc.), ether, amine, ketone, carbonate, or alkanes, or hydrocarbon (aliphatic or aromatic) The organic co-solvent may be a mixture of compounds, such as mixtures of alkanes as given above, or mixtures of one or more alkanes in combination with additional compounds such as one or more alcohols as described above. (e.g., from 0 or 0.1 to 5% of a C1 to C15 alcohol (including diols, triols, etc.)). Any surfactant can be used to carry out the present invention, including both surfactants that contain a CO₂-philic group (such as described in PCT Application WO96/27704) linked to a CO₂-phobic group (e.g., a lipophilic group) and surfactants that do not contain a CO₂-philic group (i.e., surfactants that comprise a hydrophilic group linked to a hydrophobic (typically lipophilic) group). A single surfactant may be used, or a combination of surfactants may be used. Numerous surfactants are known to those skilled in the art. See, e.g., McCutcheon's Volume 1: Emulsifiers & Detergents (1995 North American Edition) (MC Publishing Co., 175 Rock Road, Glen Rock, N.J. 07452). Examples of the major surfactant types that can be used to carry out the present invention include the: alcohols, alkanolamides, alkanolamines, alkylaryl sulfonates, alkylaryl sulfonic acids, alkylbenzenes, amine acetates, amine oxides, amines, sulfonated amines and amides, betaine derivatives, block polymers, carboxylated alcohol or alkylphelnol ethoxylates, carboxylic acids and fatty acids, a diphenyl sulfonate derivatives, ethoxylated alcohols, ethoxylated alkylphenols, ethoxylated amines and/or amides, ethioxylated fatty acids, ethoxylated fatty esters and oils, fatty esters, fluorocarbon-based surfactants, glycerol esters, glycol esters, hetocyclic-type products, imidazolines and imidazolinie derivatives, isethionates, lanolin-based derivatives, lecithin and lecithin derivatives, lignin and lignin derivatives, maleic or succinic anhydrides, methyl esters, monoglycerides and derivatives, olefin sulfonates, phosphate esters, phosphorous organic derivatives, polyethylene glycols, polymeric (polysaccharides, acrylic acid, and acrylamide) surfactants, propoxylated and ethoxylated fatty acids alcohols or alkyl phenols, protein-based surfactants, quaternary surfactants, sarcosine derivatives, silicone-based surfactants, soaps, sorbitan derivatives, sucrose and glucose esters and derivatives, sulfates and sulfonates of oils and fatty acids, sulfates and sulfonates ethoxylated alkylphenols, sulfates of alcohols, sulfates of ethoxylated alcohols, sulfates of fatty esters, sulfonates of benzene, cumene, toluene and xylene, sulfonates of condensed naphthalenes, sulfonates of dodecyl and tridecylbenzenes, sulfonates of naphthalene and alkyl naphthalene, sulfonates of petroleum, sulfosuccinamates, sulfosuccinates and derivatives, taurates, thio and mercapto derivatives, tridecyl and dodecyl benzene sulfonic acids, etc.

[0059]FIG. 1 illustrates a resist-coated substrate article 10 to be dried by the method of the present invention. The article comprises a substrate 11, which may comprise silicon or any other suitable material as described above, and which may itself comprise one or more layers, having a resist coating 12 formed thereon. Water droplets 14, 15, to be removed by drying, are on the top surface and in a trench formed in the resist coating.

[0060]FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an apparatus for carrying out the method of the invention. The apparatus comprises an enclosed drying vessel 21, suitable for containing liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide, in which vessel the coated substrate 10 (or other microelectronic device to be cleaned) is positioned on a suitable support 27. The drying vessel may include a door, a stirring device or other means of agitation, a view window, a compressor connected to the drying vessel to increase or decrease the pressure therein, a heat exchanger, heater or cooler connected to the drying vessel to increase or decrease the temperature of the contents thereof etc.

[0061] A carbon dioxide cleaning/drying composition supply 22 is connected to the drying vessel by appropriate piping. The cleaning/drying composition supply 22 may itself comprise one or more storage vessels, pump, valves, piping for mixing the drying adjunct into the carbon dioxide, etc. The vessel may be filled with the cleaning/drying composition to a level 28 above the article to be cleaned 10.

[0062] Depending upon the particular technique or combination of techniques being employed to control the processing conditions, the system includes a supply of a second gas, second material, and/or additional carbon dioxide 24 connected to the drying vessel 21.

[0063] If desired, a developer solution supply 25 may be connected to the vessel so that both development and drying of the substrate may be carried out in the same vessel 21.

[0064] A draining system 26 is preferably connected to the vessel 21 for draining whatever composition is contained therein. The draining system may itself comprise appropriate pumps, valves, compressors and the like (some of which components may be serve multiple functions in conjunction with supply elements described above), may include a still for distilling and optionally recycling ingredients such as carbon dioxide, and may include suitable piping, valves, etc. for recycling various compositions or constituents thereof to supply elements for re-use. For example, used drying composition may be distilled to allow carbon dioxide to be recycled and re-used as part of the drying composition, or to the source of additional carbon dioxide supply.

[0065] As noted above, the method of the invention comprises the steps of:

[0066] (a) providing a substrate having contaminants or residues on the substrate;

[0067] (b) providing a densified (e.g., liquid or supercritical) carbon dioxide drying composition, the cleaning composition comprising carbon dioxide and optionally but preferably a cleaning adjunct, the cleaning adjunct selected from the group consisting of cosolvents, surfactants, and combinations thereof;

[0068] (c) immersing the surface portion in the densified carbon dioxide cleaning composition; and then

[0069] d) removing the cleaning composition from the surface portion.

[0070] The process parameters may be controlled so that the cleaning composition is maintained as a homogeneous composition during the immersing step, the removing step, or both the immersing and removing step, without substantial deposition or redeposition of the cleaning adjuncts or contaminants on the resist coating.

[0071] Preferably, the providing step is carried out by mixing the carbon dioxide with the adjunct or adjuncts to produce a homogeneous solution, and then the immersing step is carried out while maintaining the cleaning composition as a homogeneous solution. Such mixing can be carried out in the drying composition supply 22 by any suitable means, such as stirring, injection under pressure, etc.

[0072] The removing step is preferably carried out while maintaining the composition as a homogeneous solution. In general, this is achieved by inhibiting the boiling of the composition as it is drained from the drying vessel. When draining liquid CO₂ from a vessel the liquid reaches a state where it is at equilibrium with CO₂ vapor, termed saturated vapor pressure. To maintain saturation, as liquid is removed from the vessel by venting or pumping preferably from the bottom of the vessel, the liquid phase boils to generate vapor for the increasing volume of the vapor phase. This boiling which may be nucleated at liquid/gas, and liquid/solid interfaces causes adjuncts with lower vapor pressure than CO₂ including, co-solvents and surfactants, and solute contaminants to concentrate at interfaces.

[0073] Concentrated adjuncts, deposited contaminants and interfacial stresses created by boiling at liquid/solid interfaces can be damaging to resist features, MEM's, or other patterned microdevices. In the case of imaged and developed resists, feature sizes less 130-nm with aspect ratios greater than 3 are particularly susceptible to damage. Process controls to prevent such damage are as follows.

[0074] For example, when the drying or cleaning composition is a liquid composition, the removing step may be carried out by pressurizing the enclosed chamber with a second compressed gas (e.g., helium, nitrogen, air, mixtures thereof) from supply 24 by an amount sufficient to inhibit boiling of the drying composition during the draining step. The second gas is preferably one that is substantially immiscible in the drying composition possessing a saturated vapor pressure that is higher than CO₂. The second gas may be used to itself force the drying or cleaning composition from the vessel, or the drying/cleaning composition may be pumped or otherwise drained from the vessel while the second gas maintains an over-pressurization at the gas-liquid interface formed in the wash vessel during draining thereof.

[0075] Alternatively, if the drying or cleaning composition is in the liquid phase, the draining step can be accomplished without boiling by liquid-gas equilibration with a secondary chamber or storage vessel. In this scenario, chamber 21 is connected to storage vessel 31 by gas-side line 32 (top), and liquid-side line 33. Each line contains a valve 34, 35 to separate or isolate vessels 21 and 31 from one another. During the draining step, storage vessel 31 contains a liquid CO₂ composition at a saturated pressure equal to or in excess of the saturated vapor pressure in the cleaning/drying vessel 21. Draining may be accomplished by first opening the gas-side connection 32 between vessels 21 and 31, and then opening the liquid-side connection 33. Liquid flows from cleaning vessel 21 to storage vessel 31 by gravity, if 21 is located sufficiently above 31, and/or by pumping. Liquid transfer described above avoids boiling thereby avoiding potential damage to resist features or other device features.

[0076] When the drying/cleaning composition is a supercritical composition there will not be a gas-liquid interface. In this case, the removing step may be carried out by first adding a second material (e.g., a cosolvent as described above or a secondary gas) to the supercritical drying/cleaning composition so that it is removed from the vessel as described above. If a secondary gas is used to cause the cleaning/drying composition, the supercritical fluid phase to be displaced by the gas should be chosen from those having a saturated vapor pressure that is higher than that of CO₂. Exemplary gases include but are not limited to: nitrogen, argon, helium, oxygen, and mixtures thereof.

[0077] Alternatively, when the drying/cleaning composition is in the supercritical state, the adjunct containing fluid can be sufficiently diluted prior to the draining step by simultaneous addition of pure supercritical CO₂ and removal of adjunct-containing supercritical CO₂. After sufficient fluid turnover is accomplished and adjunct concentration is effectively minimized, the supercritical fluid is vented from the drying vessel by maintaining the fluid in the supercritical state until a transition is made directly to the gas state thus avoiding the liquid state. This is accomplished during the draining/venting step by maintaining the fluid temperature above the critical temperature of the mixture (Tc) until the pressure in the vessel is below the critical pressure of the mixture (Pc). FIG. 3 depicts a phase diagram of predominantly CO₂ system representing the plausibility of a transition from a predominantly CO₂ supercritical mixture to a gas avoiding a liquid phase. Because the expansion of the supercritical fluid and subsequent expansion of the remaining gas is an endothermic process, heat may need to be added to the system to maintain the temperature of the fluid or gas above the critical temperature thus avoiding condensation of the supercritical fluid or gas to a liquid or solid. By effecting a direct transition from the supercritical phase to the gas phase, liquid boiling is avoided thereby avoiding the interfacial stress caused by a retracting liquid meniscus at the liquid/solid interface, and unwanted deposition of solutes onto and in microstructures.

[0078] In another embodiment, the removing step is carried out by diluting the drying/cleaning composition with additional carbon dioxide from supply 24, during which dilution the composition is removed from the vessel by draining system 23. Since larger quantities of carbon dioxide are required for such a technique, the use of a still to distill drained carbon dioxide, along with appropriate piping and valving for returning the carbon dioxide to supply 22 or Supply 24 for subsequent re-use, is preferred.

[0079] In still another embodiment, a secondary gas is used, at a pressure range above the saturation point of CO₂ gas, to displace supercritical CO2, or liquid and gaseous CO₂ in the drying/cleaning chamber leaving a predominance of the secondary gas in the vapor phase. The secondary gas, possessing a lower heat of compression, can be vented from the chamber to ambient pressure with less heat loss to the system. Also represented by a smaller Joule-Thomson coefficient, (μ), the expansion of the gas from high pressure to atmospheric conditions results in less change in temperature at or in close proximity to the substrate. (μ_(CO2)>μ_(X), where X=secondary gas).

μ=(dT/dP)_(H)

[0080] In this embodiment, the secondary gas is useful in avoiding thermal shock when rapid cycling of pressure is desired for high throughput. Substrates such as silicon wafers can crack or become damage when significant temperature gradients exist in that substrate. Cooling of chambers and vessels from gaseous expansion can also add valuable processing time and require substantial heat input for temperature regulation. The use of a secondary gas can minimize heat loss and heat inputs, potentially reducing cycle time and energy requirements.

[0081] Cyclic phase modulation. As noted above, in one embodiment the cleaning step is preferably carried out with cyclical phase modulation (CPM), or while cyclically modulating/changing the phase of the cleaning composition (i.e., cyclically changing the phase of the cleaning composition from liquid to gas, liquid to supercritical, supercritical to gas, supercritical to liquid, etc.). CPM employs processing controls of the CO₂ dense phase/cleaning composition that result in (1) enhanced physical and (2) enhanced chemical action on resists, resist residues, organic residues, particulate matter, and the like. With respect to 1), liquid and supercritical CO₂ plasticize organic polymers whereby CO₂ permeates the bulk phase at a molecular level, augmenting intra- and inter- molecular bonding interactions. During CPM, as the density of the fluid is modulated up and down, carbon dioxide mass diffuses in and back out of the polymer bulk phase. This process causes mechanical stresses and strains on the bulk polymer that facilitate expansion, contraction, delamination, potentially dissolution, and ultimately removal of polymeric materials from surfaces. Since dense carbon dioxide cleaning is preferably enhanced using co-solvents, surfactants, reactants, and sometimes water, the dense phase must also be a good carrier for these materials. With respect to 2), CPM is used to control the partitioning of chemical adjuncts in A) the continuous phase, B) at the surface of the substrate, and C) in the bulk-phase of the material to be removed, such as the resist residue.

[0082] Many organic materials are soluble in liquid and/or supercritical CO₂ under ranges of conditions of temperature (T) and pressure (P), otherwise noted as continuous-phase density. Solubility of materials in these ranges is also concentration dependent. Water along with highly polar low vapor pressure materials, and inorganic materials are typically insoluble in liquid and supercritical CO₂. However, surfactants with CO₂-philic character have been shown to be very useful in dispersing and emulsifying these materials in dense CO₂. Furthermore, conventional surfactants that do not contain fluorinated or siloxane-based components have been shown to be useful in dense phase CO2 when combined with certain co-solvent modifiers. During CPM, as the density of the continuous phase modulates, chemical adjuncts dissolved, dispersed, or emulsified therein partition between the continuous phase and the surface of the substrate. Furthermore, CO₂ plus adjuncts in the bulk phase of polymeric and porous residues can, as a result of CPM, diffuse out of bulk materials at different rates, concentrating the adjuncts in the bulk phase. This concentrating effect in the bulk phase kinetically enhances swelling and dissolution of residues. For example, consider the case of an organic polymer residue that contains polar hydrogen bonding functional groups that inhibit swelling and dissolution in dense CO₂. A soluble hydrogen bonding co-solvent can be employed with CO₂ to enhance the swelling of the bulk polymer and ultimately the removal of the materials from a substrate. However, the swelling and dissolution or dispersion of this material is limited kinetically by the concentration of the adjunct in CO2. With CPM, conditions of (T) and (P) can be manipulated to cause partitioning between the continuous phase and the surface of the wafer, and in the bulk phase of the residue. This process increases the localized concentration of adjuncts in and on residues at a molecular level. This concentrating effect, represents and kinetic advantage over solutions, dispersions, or emulsion of adjuncts in dense CO2.

[0083] In summary, CPM with dense phase carbon dioxide and chemical adjuncts, enhances the removal of resists, resists residues, particulate, and organic materials by enhancing physical and chemical action on these materials encountered during the manufacturing of microelectronic substrates.

[0084] Cyclical Phase Modulation (CPM) during an example wafer cleaning process. During the manufacturing of an integrated circuit, a semiconductor wafer is cleaned after an etch step in the following process, FIG. 4, using dense phase carbon dioxide. Dense carbon dioxide is stored in pressure vessel (I) (50) at conditions of between 300 and 5000 psi and a temperature of between −20° C. and 100° C., further described as the high-pressure vessel. A wafer is loaded into cleaning chamber (III) (51) in an automated or manual fashion where the wafer is held on a platform (XI) (52) connected to a chuck and a sealed shaft (not shown) so that the platform can spin. Located above the wafer held on the platform is a spray bar (X) (53) designed to disperse the flow of dense phase carbon dioxide and chemical adjuncts and to direct substantial fluid action onto the surfaces of the wafer. Cleaning chamber (III) is pressurized with clean carbon dioxide from either a bulk storage tank (XII) (54) through valve (i) (55) or from pressure vessel (I) (50) through valve (a) (56) to a pressure of between 300 psi and 5000 psi at a temperature of between −20° C. and 100° C. The temperature of the dense CO₂ can be modulated using heat exchanger (II) (60). Additionally, the temperature of the processing phase in chamber (III) (51) can be modulated using heat exchangers internal or external to the chamber. Highly filtered chemical adjuncts as required are added to cleaning chamber (III) (51) from adjunct addition module (VI) (61) through valve (b) (62) during the addition of dense CO₂ or alternatively prior to the addition of the dense CO₂. The adjunct addition module serves to store, filter, mix and sequentially or simultaneously meter adjunct materials to the cleaning chamber. During the cleaning process, the dense phase CO₂ is optionally circulated from the cleaning chamber through valve (e) (66) using pump (VII) (63) through solid separation filter (VIII) (64) and valve (f) (65) back into the chamber through the spray bar (X) (53). During the circulation the wafer can be spun at rates between zero and 3000 rpm. Also during the cleaning step, the density of the system is cyclically modulated. This can be accomplished with the following sequence. Pressure vessel (I) (50), the high-pressure vessel, containing dense CO₂, is maintained at a pressure notably above (50 to 2000 psi greater than) that of cleaning chamber (III) (51). Pressure vessel (V) (70), low-pressure vessel, is held at a pressure notably less than (50 to 3000 psi lower than) cleaning chamber (III) (51), and the temperature of the independent vessels are roughly the same. In the cyclical process, valve (a) (56) is first opened to allow for the flow of mass between (I) and (III) then closed. Valve (d) (71) is then opened to allow for the flow of mass between (III) and (V). Valve (g) (72) is then opened to separator/abatement module (IX) (73) such as a filter or other separator that serves to separate chemical adjuncts from CO₂ and removed waste. The abatement module also allows for removed CO₂ mass to be re-added to tank (I) through valve (h) (74) completing the mass flow cycle. Alternatively, CO₂ mass can be added to pressure vessel (I) from bulk storage, to reestablish higher pressure in vessel (I) than chamber (III). This mass flow cycle is repeated multiple times (between 1 and 500) in a given cleaning cycle resulting in cyclical phase modulation (CPM). Dense CO₂ circulation in cleaning chamber (III) can optionally be augmented using pump (VII) and valves (e) and (f) during CPM. During the cleaning step, CPM can be alternatively achieved using variable volume chamber (IV) (80) with valve (c) (81) opened. In this scenario, the volume of (IV) is increased and reduced cyclically, between 1 and 500 times in a given cleaning cycle. In this CPM scenario, fluid can optionally be circulated through the cleaning chamber (III) using pump (VII) and valves (e) and (f). After a period sufficient to remove the contaminants from the surface of the wafer, dense phase CO₂ mixture is flushed from the system through valve (d) into vessel (V) with addition of pure dense phase CO₂ from tank (I) through valve (a). This rinse process continues until all adjunct and waste are removed from the chamber. The dense CO₂ is vented from cleaning chamber (III) to a waste or abatement system.

[0085] Water soluble compounds to deliver. Examples of water soluble compounds to be delivered to facilitate cleaning in embodiments employing water in the cleaning system as described above include, but are not limited to: Acids (including but not limited to HF, HF/NH₄F (also known as “BOE”—buffered oxide etch or “BHF”—buffered HF), H₂SO₄, HCl, HBr, H₃PO₄, HNO₃, CH₃CO₂H, H₂S₂O₈, KCN, KI, etc.); Reactants (including but not limited to H₂O₂, NH₄F and NH₄F₂, SiCl₄, SiHCl₃, Si(C₂H₅O)₄, Br, I, EDTA, Surfactants, (NH₄)₂SO₄, O₃, H₂, SO₃, N₂O, NO, NO₂, F₂, Cl₂, Br₂, etc.); Alkalis or bases (including but not limited to NH₄OH, KOH, NaOH, etc.); Weak Bases and ion pairs (including but not limited to Choline (CH₃)₃N⁺(CH₂CH₂OH.OH), Tertiary Amines, etc.) and combinations thereof.

[0086] Methods for the Control of Contaminants Following Carbon Dioxide Cleaning of Microelectronic Structures. Contaminants removed from surfaces features of microelectronic substrates after ion implantation, ‘back end of the line’ (BEOL) cleaning processes, ‘Front end of the line’ (FEOL) cleaning processes, and post CMP steps vary in nature and composition dramatically. Accordingly, cleaning steps must address these contaminants with the appropriate chemistries and solvents to either react with, ionize, dissolve, swell, disperse, emulsify, or vaporize them from the substrate. As such, a variety of water and solvent-based systems, and dry cleaning processes exist to address the broad variety of waste materials.

[0087] Common to all cleaning processes, however, is the need to completely remove all contaminants, and adjuncts from the substrate leaving the substrate free, substantially free or essentially free of organic, inorganic, metallic, or composite waste mater (e.g., the amount of contaminants left after the process is completed is not more than 5%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, 0.01%, 0.005%, 0.001%, or less, by weight of the amount of contaminant prior to the cleaning process)). These foreign materials often seen in residues from wet-cleaning processes, often referred to as watermarks, can dramatically and detrimentally affect the ultimate performance of integrated circuits and other microelectronic devices. This is traditionally minimized in wet-cleaning and solvent based cleaning processes by using copious amounts of ultra-pure water and/or solvents for rinse steps. In these processes, fluid streams are directed in a fashion that sweeps contaminants away from the substrate such that redeposition of mater is minimized. These rinsing practices result in large quantities of aqueous and solvent-based waste streams that are increasing as device feature sizes continue to shrink. Vapor-phase dryers, such as IPA dryers, are also commonly used to minimize the occurrence of watermarks or water-spots.

[0088] Liquid and supercritical CO₂-based cleaning and drying processes have been proposed in the manufacturing of microelectronic substrates. Processing methodologies that effectively eliminate the redeposition of contaminants onto and into the surface features of microelectronic substrates during or subsequent to cleaning steps are needed. The processes disclosed herein accomplish this task while also advantageously minimizing the extraneous use of processing rinse fluid that would result from patterned flow and waste scenarios. FIG. 5 represents a basic process diagram for a general description of this embodiment of the invention.

[0089] During or carbon dioxide cleaning steps fluid in the chamber may be in the supercritical state or the liquid state. Furthermore, liquid CO₂ compositions can be at the saturation point, termed saturated liquid CO₂ (liquid and gas co-existing in some proportion), or it can be compressed (no liquid meniscus). For the purposes of this invention each scenario will be described separately.

[0090] Removing supercritical CO₂ compositions and contaminants from cleaning chambers avoiding re-deposition of cleaning adjuncts and contaminants and minimizing rinse volumes. Cleaning steps using CO₂ may use a variety of chemical adjuncts including co-solvents, surfactants, reactants, water, and combinations of some or all to enable or facilitate the quantitative removal of contaminants. These materials may be suspended, dissolved, dispersed, or emulsified in the carbon dioxide continuous phase. The stability of suspensions, dispersions, emulsions, and even solutions of materials in supercritical CO₂ as well as liquid is largely a function of CO₂ fluid density. Generally speaking, as the density of the CO₂ continuous phase decreases the stability of suspensions, dispersions, or emulsions also decrease. Since removal of CO₂ mass through draining or venting of the cleaning chamber mandates gradual to rapid reductions in fluid density, this process can result in the undesirable collapse of materials, termed redeposition in the case of contaminants and deposition in the case of adjuncts, onto the substrate. Consistent with conventional cleaning processes, copious amounts of ultra-pure rinse fluid, in this case CO₂, can be used to dilute the adjunct plus contaminant mixture prior to the venting step such that minimal redeposition is encountered. This can be disadvantageous based on required fluid volumes and processing cycle times.

[0091] The current invention circumvents the above-described problems as described in the context of FIG. 5. Supercritical processing fluid containing some level of contaminants and/or adjuncts either prior to a rinse step or subsequent to a rinse step is removed without deposition or redeposition of materials onto the substrate. Chamber I (50) represents the cleaning chamber. Pressure vessel II (51) represents a storage tank for processing fluid after cleaning. It can be integrated with abatement or recycling systems as desired. Subsystem III (52) represents a source of clean (i.e., sufficiently clean to achieve the desired level of cleanness/lack of redeposition of contaminants on the substrate) gaseous or supercritical components that can be a secondary gas with a saturated vapor pressure that exceeds that of carbon dioxide, or can be heated carbon dioxide in the supercritical phase or gas phase. Exemplary secondary gases include: helium, nitrogen, argon, and oxygen, or mixtures thereof. In the present invention, contaminated supercritical fluid is removed from the processing chamber by providing a secondary source of gas from system III 52 through valve (b) 53 at a pressure that exceeds the pressure in the processing chamber (I). Nearly simultaneous with the opening of valve (b), valve (c) 54 is opened between chamber (I) and vessel (II) to allow for removal of the CO₂ plus contaminants in a plug flow or draining fashion. Valve (b) remains open providing chamber (I) a continuous flow of secondary gas until all fluid mater is forced from chamber (I) at which point valves (b) and (c) are closed. Throughout this operation, the pressure in vessel (II) is maintained at a lower pressure than chamber (I).

[0092] Alternatively, system (III) can supply the chamber (I) with a heated source of supercritical CO₂ at a pressure and temperature that exceeds that of the processing fluid in chamber (I). Ideally the supercritical CO₂ added from system (III) has a lower density than that in chamber (I). In this case, the mixing of CO₂ fluids of varied density is accompanied by rapid flow of mass out of chamber (I) into vessel (II). The flushing action removes CO₂ plus contaminants from the cleaning chamber. The process can be used as a final drain followed by a vent or in conjunction with a series of fill and drain sequences preceding a final vent.

[0093] Removing liquid CO₂ compositions and contaminants from cleaning chambers avoiding re-deposition of cleaning adjuncts and contaminants and minimizing rinse volumes. Liquid CO₂ compositions can be removed from cleaning chambers without the deposition of adjuncts or redeposition of contaminants using the following sequence that incorporate a secondary gas such as helium or nitrogen, or gaseous or supercritical CO₂. In the first case, liquid compositions are removed from chamber (I) by first opening valve (b) to system (III) where system (III) contains a secondary gas at a pressure greater than that in chamber (I). Nearly simultaneously or shortly after, valve (c) 54 is opened between chamber (I) and vessel (II) allow for forced plug flow of the liquid composition from chamber (I). After complete removal of liquid from (I), valves (c) 54 and (b) 53 are closed. This process can be used as a final removal drain step prior to venting or in a sequence of fill and drain steps. Alternatively, heated gaseous CO₂ or supercritical CO₂ is supplied from system (III) using the same process steps. In the case of gaseous CO₂ the pressure and temperature of the gas must exceed that of the processing fluid in chamber (I) to be removed. In the case of supercritical CO₂ being supplied by system (III), the fluid is supplied at a temperature and pressure that exceeds that of the fluid in chamber (I) so long as the density of the fluid is less than that of the liquid in chamber (I). Any condensation of gas or supercritical CO₂ to a liquid as mass rapidly flows from (III) to (I) to (II) may benefit the process by providing a surface rinsing action during the drain flush step. Again, this process can be used as a final removal or flush step prior to chamber venting or in a series of fill and drain steps preceding a final vent.

[0094] Alternatively, if the cleaning chamber is using liquid CO₂ compositions at saturated vapor pressure the fluid composition can be drained in the following steps to avoid deposition of materials onto the substrate surface. In this case, liquid CO₂ at saturated vapor pressure is maintained in vessel (II) prior to the draining or flushing step. The liquid composition is drained from (I) by first opening valve (e) 55 connecting the vapor-phase side of (I) with the vapor-phase side of (II), then opening valve (c) 54 connecting the liquid side of (I) with the vapor side of (II). By force of gravity, this allows the flow of liquid out of (I) without boiling liquid in chamber (I). The boiling of liquid is prevented to avoid the deposition of entrained materials onto surfaces. Vapor side communication (i.e., a vapor communication passage to permit vapor flow) is preferably provided between the two chambers. Once again, this process can be used as a final removal or drain step prior to chamber venting or in a series of fill and drain steps preceding a final vent.

[0095]FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a substrate in a pressure vessel, the substrate having a thin film of a supercritical fluid deposited thereon. FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a process for forming the product illustrated in FIG. 6. In general, a pressure vessel 111 contains a substrate 112 to be coated with a film of a first supercritical fluid 114, the first supercritical fluid containing or carrying a coating component (e.g., solubilized, dissolved or dispersed therein). A second supercritical fluid 115 is introduced into the pressure vessel (e.g. at a pressure slightly greater than the First supercritical fluid) and the first supercritical fluid forced from the vessel (e.g., through a backpressure valve) so that the pressure in the vessel remains substantially the same. A thin film of the first supercritical fluid is thereby deposited on the substrate. Intervening steps such as reaction steps may be performed on the coating component in the supercritical fluid, and the first supercritical fluid may be subsequently evaporated to leave the coating component deposited on the substrate surface.

[0096] Carbon-dioxide compositions that may be used as the first supercritical fluid in carrying out the present invention typically comprise:

[0097] (a) carbon dioxide to balance, typically at least 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60 percent;

[0098] (b) from 0, 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, 1 or 2 percent to 5 or 10 percent or more of surfactant;

[0099] (c) from 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1 or 2 to 30, 40 or 50 percent or more of an organic co-solvent;

[0100] (d) optionally, from 0, 0.01, or 0.1 to 2 or 5 percent water; and

[0101] (e) from 0.01, 0.1, or 1 to 2, 5 or 10 percent or more of a coating component distributed in the composition (e.g., as a solution or a dispersion).

[0102] The first and second supercritical fluids in said vessel are typically at a pressure of between about 1,000 or 1,080 psig to about 5,000 or 10,000 psi and a temperature of between about 30 or 31 degrees Centigrade up to about 150 or 250 degrees Centigrade.

[0103] Any suitable composition with a density less than that of the first supercritical fluid may be used as the second supercritical fluid, including but not limited to helium, argon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, ozone, and mixtures thereof.

[0104] The thickness of the thin film will vary depending upon the particular coating format employed and ingredients optionally contained in the first supercritical fluid (e.g., coating components), but will typically be from about 100 or 200 Angstroms to about 1 or 2 microns thick.

[0105] Coating components. The coating component may include one or more of:

[0106] CO2-philic polymers and polymeric materials dissolved or dispersed in formulated CO2. Polymer materials such as dielectrics, photoresists, lubricants, insulators, pigments, etc.

[0107] Formulations includes

[0108] pure CO2 at supercritical conditions

[0109] cosolvent-modified CO₂ continuous phase

[0110] microemulsion domain of polar media—water (utilizing surfactant compositions of both CO2-philic and CO₂-phobic structures)

[0111] combinations of the above.

[0112] Surface active materials—e.g. coatings that Would associate, bind or bond to the surface (see U.S Pat. No. 6,287,640 Surface treatment of substrates with compounds that bind thereto and references therein for a general description as such technology could be applied to a textile substrate).

[0113] Ceramic and glass precursor materials such as:

[0114] Silicon-network precursors, example: TEOS, hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ), methyl silsesquioxane (MSQ)

[0115] Other network precursors based on other semiconductors and on group IV and group V metals (specific list of chemistries and materials to follow).

[0116] Metal atoms such as copper and aluminum dissolved in formulated CO₂

[0117] Metal complexes dissolved or dispersed in formulated CO₂

[0118] Metallic layer precursors dissolved or dispersed in formulated CO₂ (for example specific chemistries to form ‘barrier-layer’ materials in semiconductor fabricaion—Tantalum, Tungsten and Titanium Nitrides, Carbides Silicides as well as ternary materials such as those containing Boron (specific fluid-phase chemistries to follow)

[0119] Coating procedures. The coating process may be embodied in any convenient format, including but not limited to:

[0120] Meniscus coating in all it's physical permutations (described in detail for liquid CO2 in U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,921 Method for meniscus coating with liquid carbon dioxide and U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,565 of same name and references therein—note of relevance, these references are limited to the liquid phase as the only conditions capable of supporting the meniscus. They are also limited to coating with polymeric materials).

[0121] Spin coating in all it's physical permutations (described in detail for liquid CO2 in U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,418 Spin coating method and apparatus for liquid carbon dioxide systems and references therein—note of relevance, these references are limited to the liquid phase as the only conditions capable of supporting the meniscus. They are also limited to coating with polymeric materials).

[0122] Deposition of materials from the surface-film on a substrate (surface film formed by spin, meniscus, etc.) by reactive association with the surface. Examples of this:

[0123] “Hot wall” deposition . . . thermally-induced reactions on the surface being coated.

[0124] Specifically applicable to the reduction of metal complexes.

[0125] Specifically applicable to the binding and/or crosslinking

[0126] Surface chemical bindings such as those used to create surfaces for combinatorial chemical analysis

[0127] The present invention is explained in greater detail in the following non-limiting Examples.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE A Treatment of a Coated Wafer with Liquid Carbon Dioxide

[0128] A CO₂-miscible, hydrophilic solvent, such as isopropanol (IPA), was added to a high-pressure vessel that contained a piece of a poly(hydroxystyrene) (PHS) coated silicon wafer. Liquid CO₂ was added to the high-pressure vessel. As the liquid CO₂/IPA (2% IPA by volume) mixture meniscus level rose above the surface of the wafer, damage to the wafer was observed. After the system was mixed for 15 minutes, the liquid CO₂/IPA mixture was drained from the bottom of the high-pressure vessel. More damage to the wafer was observed as the IPA boiled at the liquid/gas/wafer interface.

EXAMPLE 1 Treatment of a Coated Wafer with Liquid Carbon Dioxide

[0129] Liquid CO₂ was added to a high-pressure vessel that contained a piece of a PHS coated silicon wafer until the wafer was completely submerged in liquid CO₂. A mixture that contained liquid CO₂ and IPA, 2% IPA by volume, (alternatively any CO₂-miscible, hydrophilic solvent, or any hydrophilic/CO₂-philic surfactant) was added to the high-pressure vessel that contained the piece of PHS coated silicon wafer submerged in liquid CO₂. No damage to the wafer was observed. The system was mixed for 15 minutes. There was still no damage to the wafer. A secondary gas (helium or nitrogen) was added to the top of the high-pressure vessel. The liquid CO₂/IPA mixture was drained under the pressure of the secondary gas to prevent boiling at the liquid/gas/wafer interface. There was no damage to the wafer after the system was drained with a secondary gas. The system was rinsed with pure liquid CO₂ and was then drained as mentioned above. There was no damage to the wafer.

EXAMPLE 2 Treatment of a Coated Wafer with Liquid Carbon Dioxide

[0130] Liquid CO₂ at its saturated vapor pressure was added to a high-pressure vessel that contained a piece of a PHS coated silicon wafer until the wafer was completely submerged in liquid CO₂. A mixture that contained liquid CO₂ and IPA, 2% IPA by volume, (alternatively any CO₂-miscible, hydrophilic solvent, or hydrophilic/CO₂-philic surfactant) was added to the high-pressure vessel that contained the piece of PHS coated silicon wafer submerged in liquid CO₂. No damage to the wafer was observed. The liquid CO₂ mixture was drained from the high-pressure vessel to another high-pressure vessel containing predominantly liquid CO₂ at saturated vapor pressure by first opening a valve connecting the vapor side of both vessels then by opening a valve connecting the liquid side of both vessels. The liquid was drained by force of gravity as the first vessel was positioned substantially above the second to allow for complete drainage. No damage was observed. Pure liquid CO₂ was added to the vessel containing the wafer segment as a rinse, and that liquid was subsequently drained in the manor described above. Again, no damage was observed.

EXAMPLE 3 Treatment of a Coated Wafer with Liquid and Supercritical CO₂

[0131] Liquid CO₂ was added to a high-pressure vessel that contained a piece of a PHS coated silicon wafer until the wafer was completely submerged in liquid CO₂. A mixture that contained liquid CO₂ and IPA, 2% IPA by volume, (alternatively any CO₂-miscible, hydrophilic solvent or surfactant that increased the carry capacity of CO₂ for water) was added to the high-pressure vessel that contained the piece of PHS coated silicon wafer submerged in liquid CO₂. No damage to the wafer was observed. After a period of time sufficient to remove the substantial majority of the water from the surface of the wafer, the liquid mixture was diluted with pure liquid CO₂ to effect approximately 5 liquid turnovers in the drying chamber. Heat was then added to the liquid CO₂ causing a transition to the supercritical phase. The chamber containing the wafer is then drained and vented by maintaining the temperature of fluid and gas above the critical temperature of CO₂, thus avoiding the liquid phase. The wafer was removed form the chamber with no damage.

EXAMPLE 4 Treatment of a Coated Wafer with Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

[0132] Supercritical CO₂ was added to a high-pressure vessel that contained a piece of a PHS coated silicon wafer. A mixture that contained supercritical CO₂ and IPA, 2% IPA by volume, (alternatively any CO₂-miscible, hydrophilic solvent or surfactant that increased the carry capacity of CO₂ for water) was added to the high-pressure vessel that contained the piece of PHS coated silicon wafer and supercritical CO₂. No damage to the wafer was observed. The system was mixed for 15 minutes. There was still no damage to the wafer. A secondary gas (helium or nitrogen) was added to the top of the high-pressure vessel until the system became subcritical and a liquid meniscus was formed. The liquid CO₂/IPA mixture was drained under the pressure of the secondary gas to prevent boiling at the liquid/gas/wafer interface. There was no damage to the wafer after the system was drained with a secondary gas. The system was rinsed with pure liquid CO₂ and was then drained as mentioned above. There was no damage to the wafer.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE B Solvation of Water from a Coated Wafer with Liquid Carbon Dioxide

[0133] A droplet of water was dripped on top of a piece of a PHS coated silicon wafer. The wafer that contained the water droplet was placed in the high-pressure view cell. Pure liquid CO₂ was added to the high-pressure vessel. The system was mixed for 15 minutes. The liquid CO₂ did not solvate the entire droplet of water as determined visually through a sapphire window on the view cell.

EXAMPLE 5 Solvation of Water from a Coated Wafer with Liquid Carbon Dioxide and Cosolvent

[0134] A droplet of water was dripped on top of a piece of a PHS coated silicon wafer. The wafer that contained the water droplet was placed in the high-pressure view cell. Liquid CO₂ was added to a high-pressure vessel that contained a piece of a PHS coated silicon wafer until the wafer was completely submerged in liquid CO₂. A mixture that contained liquid CO₂ and IPA, 2% IPA by volume, (alternatively any CO₂-miscible, hydrophilic solvent) was added to the high-pressure vessel that contained the piece of PHS coated silicon wafer submerged in liquid CO₂. No damage to the wafer was observed. The system was mixed for 15 minutes. The water droplet was completely solvated. There was still no damage to the wafer. A secondary gas (helium or nitrogen) was added to the top of the high-pressure vessel. The liquid CO₂/IPA mixture was drained under the pressure of the secondary gas to prevent boiling at the liquid/gas/wafer interface. There was no damage to the wafer after the system was drained with a secondary gas. The system was rinsed with pure liquid CO₂ and was then drained as mentioned above. There was no damage to the wafer.

EXAMPLE 6 Solvation of Water from a Coated Wafer with Liquid and Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Cosolvent

[0135] A whole 5″ PHS coated wafer wetted with water, as it would be in an aqueous post-development process, was placed in the prototype drying chamber. The chamber was filled with liquid carbon dioxide. The prototype system contained a second high pressure vessel , containing liquid CO₂ plus 2% IPA by volume, (alternatively any CO₂-miscible, hydrophilic solvent or surfactant that increased the carry capacity of CO₂ for water) The mixed liquid CO₂/IPA was added to the drying chamber from the second high-pressure vessel using a pump. The system was mixed for 15 minutes. The liquid CO₂/IPA mixture was flushed with 5 liquid turnovers of pure liquid CO₂ so that the concentration of IPA dropped to a fraction of its previous concentration. There was no meniscus formation during the CO₂ flush. After the CO₂ flush, the liquid CO₂ was heated to 35° C. transitioning the fluid to a supercritical phase. The supercritical CO₂ was then drained/vented from the vessel as heat was added to maintain the fluid, and subsequently the gas, above the critical temperature of CO₂. When the chamber was completely vented the wafer was removed dry and undamaged.

EXAMPLE 7 Drying of Water from an Imaged and Aqueously Developed Resist-Coated Wafer Using CO₂ and Chemical Adjuncts

[0136] A 5-inch silicon wafer coated with a PHS photoresist and a PAG was imaged, developed using 0.238 normal tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide, and rinsed with deionized water. The wet wafer was then transferred to a high-pressure drying chamber, where liquid CO₂ at saturated vapor pressure was added in a small amount. Additional liquid CO₂ at saturated vapor pressure premixed with a hydrophilic/CO₂-philic surfactant was added to and circulated through the chamber to displace and remove the water from the surface of the wafer and features of the resist pattern. After a short period of time the liquid was drained to a secondary storage vessel containing a small amount of liquid CO₂ first by allowing a vapor-side communication between the two vessels then by opening a valve connecting the bottom of the drying vessel with the bottom of the second storage vessel. The second storage vessel was position sufficiently below the drying chamber that the majority of the liquid drained from the drying chamber. The drying chamber was then filled with pure liquid CO₂ as a rinse followed by draining as described above. This was repeated to insure that the concentration of the adjunct was effectively zero. The small amount of remaining liquid CO₂ in the drying chamber was heated to above its critical point, 35° C., and the CO₂ was vented while maintaining the fluid/gas temperature above the critical temperature thus avoiding the formation of a liquid meniscus. The imaged, developed, and dried wafer was then removed from the chamber, stored in the absence of light and moisture, and then analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. The micrograph showed that the developed features, demonstrating line/space patterns of less than 120-nm, were consistent structurally unaffected by the CO₂ drying process.

EXAMPLE 8 MEM's Water and Contaminant Removal

[0137] During the manufacturing or a MEM's device containing a series of electrostatic actuators, a sacrificial oxide layer is removed using aqueous hydrofluoric acid, exposing a series of pivoting plates parallel to the substrate surface. After a sequential rinse step, the device is transferred to a high-pressure CO₂-based drying chamber, where a liquid CO₂ mixture is added at saturated vapor pressure. The liquid CO₂ contains a CO₂-philic/hydrophilic surfactant that is premixed with the CO₂ to ensure a homogeneous composition. After a period of circulation, pure liquid CO₂ is fed into the chamber as liquid CO₂, surfactant, water and entrained solutes are removed from the vessel at constant pressure. The liquid CO₂ remaining in the chamber is then heated to above its critical temperature converting the fluid into the supercritical state. The supercritical fluid in the processing chamber is then vented into a storage tank serving to ensure that the temperature of the fluid/gas mixture stays above the critical temperature of CO₂. This serves to ensure that the liquid state, a liquid meniscus, and associated surface tension are avoided during the draining/venting step. An SEM analysis of the MEM's device shows that the pivoting plates are all substantially parallel to the substrate surface with no evidence of release stiction.

EXAMPLE 9 Post CMP Cleaning

[0138] Polishing slurry, polishing residues and particulates are removed post-CMP using the following process steps. The substrate, a semiconductor wafer with a metal or dielectric surface, is loaded into a pressure vessel. An aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide (30% concentration in water) in a liquid CO₂ emulsion containing a high purity CO₂-philic-b-hydrophilic surfactant is introduced at 1,200 psi and room temperature. Cyclical phase modulation is used to condense the emulsion onto the surface of the wafer followed by re-emulsification. This is accomplished by increasing the effective volume of the cleaning chamber causing a reduction in pressure from 1200 psi at room temperature to 790 psi at about 15 C. The volume is increased using an automated variable volume cylinder and appropriate valves. The aqueous cleaning solution is condensed onto the surface of the wafer for a short period of time as the density of the liquid CO₂ is reduced. The pressure is then increased by a reduction of vessel volume restoring the pressure in the cleaning chamber to 1200 psi. The cycle is repeated 20 times. The first solution is then displaced from the vessel by a second cleaning solution consisting of an aqueous fluoride in CO₂ emulsion with a high purity CO₂-philic-b-hydrophilic surfactant. The pressure is then modulated cyclically as above, 20 times. Supercritical CO₂ at 1800 psi and 40 C, with a high purity surfactant is then flowed through the vessel to facilitate the removal of any remaining particulates. A supercritical CO₂ rinse is then completed by addition of pure CO₂ to the vessel. The system is vented a final time and the substrate is removed.

EXAMPLE 10

[0139] Polishing slurry, polishing residues and particulates are removed post-CMP using the following process steps. The substrate, a semiconductor wafer with a metal or dielectric surface, is loaded into a pressure vessel. An aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide in a liquid CO₂ emulsion containing a high purity CO₂-philic-b-hydrophilic surfactant is introduced at 1,200 psi and room temperature. The aqueous cleaning solution is condensed onto the surface of the wafer for a short period of time using a variable volume chamber connecting to the cleaning vessel. The pressure is then increased by a reduction of vessel volume to restore the pressure to the original value. The cycle is repeated 20 times. The first solution is displaced from the vessel by a second cleaning solution consisting of an aqueous fluoride in CO₂ emulsion with a high purity CO₂-philic-b-hydrophilic surfactant. The pressure is then modulated as above 20 times using a variable volume chamber. Supercritical CO₂ containing a small amount CO₂-soluble chelating agent (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is then flowed through the vessel to facilitate the removal of any remaining metal ions. Supercritical CO₂ with a high purity surfactant is then flowed through the vessel to facilitate the removal of any remaining particulate mater. A supercritical CO₂ rinse is then completed by addition of pure CO₂ to the vessel. The system is vented a final time and the substrate removed.

EXAMPLE 11

[0140] Photoresist is used to pattern substrates for ion implantation. The photoresist used for this process is removed in the following steps. The substrate, a semiconductor post ion implantation, is loaded into a pressure vessel. Supercritical CO₂ is added to the vessel at 3,000 psi and 35 ° C. As the supercritical CO₂ circulated through the vessel, a co-solvent mixture consisting of triethanolamine, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, a surfactant containing both CO₂-philic and hydrophilic components, and water are added. The mixture composition by weight is 7:2:1:1, and the total concentration of adjunct added is 2.5% w/v of the fluid system. The pressure of the vessel is reduced using a variable volume chamber and appropriate valves causing an expansion of the processing fluid in the cleaning chamber and thereby condensing a concentrated mixture of the adjunct mixture onto the surface of the substrate. The temperature of the mixture drops below the T_(c) in the course of the expansion causing a transition to liquid CO2. The system is re-pressurized and the fluid mixture heated above T_(c) again using the variable volume chamber and internal heaters. This cycle is repeated 20 times and followed by a pure supercritical CO₂ rinse. The system is vented and the substrate removed.

EXAMPLE 12

[0141] Polymeric photoresist and resist residue is removed from via structures of a test wafer after reactive ion etching using the following process steps. An amine (triethylamine) in supercritical CO₂ plus a high purity surfactant with both a CO₂-philic and an oleophilic segment is added to the vessel at 3,000 psi at 60° C. (2% w/v amine, 1% w/v surfactant). The fluid mixture is circulated through the vessel. The pressure of the fluid mixture is rapidly reduced to 1,500 psi thereby condensing the adjunct onto the surface of the substrate. The pressure is then rapidly increased back to 3,000 psi re-dispersing all chemical adjuncts. The cycle is repeated 20 times using a variable volume chamber. Heat is added to the chamber using an internal heater to maintain the temperature as near to 60° C. as possible. Helium gas at 3500 psi was then added to the cleaning chamber as a valve at the bottom of the chamber was opened to a waste vessel. The processing fluid was rapidly flushed from the chamber and replaced by a pressurized atmosphere of pure helium. After the helium was vented off the cleaning vessel was rinsed with pure supercritical CO₂ A second cleaning solution consisting of a co-solvent (2,4-pentanedione, 3% w/v total) and a high purity surfactant (1% w/v) was added to the cleaning vessel with CO₂ at 3000 psi and 60 C. The pressure of the system is modulated as described above 20 times while the temperature of the fluid is maintained as close to 60° C. as possible using an internal heater. The cleaning fluid was drained as above using helium as a secondary gas. Finally, a pure supercritical CO₂ rinse is completed, the system was drained using helium as a secondary gas and then vented, and the substrate removed.

EXAMPLE 13 Formation of an Interface between Super Critical Helium and Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

[0142] A high-pressure view cell filled was filled with supercritical carbon dioxide at a temperature of about 55 degrees Centigrade and a pressure of about 2800 psig. The supercritical carbon dioxide contained a co-solvent N-methyl pyrolidone at less than about 4% by volume. Draining is through a back-pressure regulator to maintain near constant pressure within the cell. FIG. 8 shows the addition of supercritical helium to the top of the view cell at a pressure of about 2,900 psig and the same temperature as the supercritical carbon dioxide. The photograph is taken through a viewing port in the cell from a slightly elevated position. The supercritical helium is in the top portion of the cell, the supercritical carbon dioxide is in the bottom portion of the cell, and the supercritical carbon dioxide is being forced out of the cell through a drain at the bottom of the cell. The formation of an interface between the two supercritical fluids is observed as the dark border between the upper and lower regions in the cell. After additional time and after additional helium has been added it will be noted in FIG. 9 that additional supercritical carbon dioxide has been forced out of the drain at the bottom of the cell. A thin layer of the supercritical carbon dioxide, with any coating component carried therein, adheres to the view cell window, which represents a substrate being coated.

[0143]FIG. 10 shows the addition of supercritical carbon dioxide fluid to a pressure cell filled with supercritical helium at about 2900 psig and about 55 degrees Centigrade, with the carbon dioxide being added at a slightly higher pressure of about 2950 psig. Note that the supercritical carbon dioxide falls in a stream through the helium to the bottom of the cell. The boundaries of this falling stream represent an interface between the supercritical carbon dioxide and the supercritical helium and allows a coating component carried by the supercritical carbon dioxide to be deposited by the supercritical carbon dioxide onto a substrate, in this case the bottom of the view cell. Note that the carbon dioxide phase at the bottom is being allowed to drain through the bottom of the cell through a back-pressure regulator to maintain a near-constant pressure within the view cell.

EXAMPLE 14 Coating of a Polymer from a Supercritical Fluid

[0144] A polymer or other material to be coated on a solid substrate is dissolved in supercritical fluid 1 (SF1) at a concentration that results in a suitable density and viscosity for the mixture (DEN1 and VIS1). SF1 can also contain suitable adjuncts to allow one to reach the required solubility for the material to be coated or to achieve the required density and viscosity. A second supercritical fluid 2 (SF2) can be prepared by having either a pure fluid or a pure fluid with additives such that the density and viscosity of this second fluid are DEN2 and VIS2 respectively. Both SF1 and SF2 exhibit their own critical points above which they are perfectly homogeneous solutions.

[0145] SF1 and SF2 are essentially immiscible at a temperature and a pressure that lie above the critical temperatures and pressures of both solutions individually. That is, if DEN1>DEN2, then the two fluids can exhibit a stable interface separating the two fluid phases. Even though SF1 and SF2 may have some partial solubility in each other, the solubility of SF2 in SF1 cannot be enough to appreciably or substantially precipitate the material to be coated, or any of the components dissolved in SF1. In other words, SF2 and its components cannot be an anti-solvent for SF2 and its components. Similarly SF1 cannot be an anti-solvent for SF2 and its components. Under these conditions, SF2 will be suspended above SF1 in a stable configuration and SF2 can be used to displace SF1 from a container as described above. It is also preferable if the viscosities of SF1 and SF2 are such that viscous fingering and other instability phenomena do not result in motion of SF2 into SF1 due to gravity, natural convection, or any other surface or body forces.

[0146] An object to be coated by a high pressure free meniscus coating process (FMC) can be completely submerged in SF1, which already contains the coating polymer or other material. To begin the coating process, SF2 is introduced at the top of the coating chamber in such a way that it begins to displace SF1. Since SF1 is assumed to wet and adhere to the substrate to be coated, a thin film of SF1 will remain adhered to the solid. The thickness of the film will depend on the velocity of the rate of displacement (velocity of SF2), the viscosities of the two solutions (VIS1 and VIS2), and the densities of the two solutions (DEN1 and DEN2). As SF2 displaces SF1 it is possible to initiate evaporation of the two solvents from the chamber by reducing the chamber pressure. This would result in increases in the viscosity of the coating solution and result in a coating being deposited on the surface. The thickness of the film and the coating will depend on the evaporation rate. It might also be possible to do this with no reduction in pressure or evaporation, resulting in a monolayer film of the coating material on the substrate.

[0147] An object to be coated by a high pressure spin coating process can be placed on a rotating chuck. A fixed volume of solution SF1 can be placed on the center of the object, and the chamber can be filled slowly with SF2 in such a way that SF1 is not perturbed. At this time the chuck can be rotated at a rate such that the SF1 solution begins to flow towards the edges of the object, creating a thin film. At the same time fluid SF2 will begin to also flow outwards as a result of the forces generated by the rotation of the chuck. As this proceeds it is possible to begin evaporation of both solvents by reducing the pressure in the chamber. As evaporation proceeds the viscosity of SF1 will increase, creating a liquid or solid coating of the substrate. The thickness of the film will depend on the viscosities of the two solutions VIS1 and VIS2 as well as the densities of the two solutions (DEN1 and DEN2). The thickness of the film will also depend on the rotational speed and evaporation rate.

EXAMPLE 15 Multi-Layer Deposition

[0148] A process of forming a thick or multi-layer film is carried out as follows: 1) An organometallic precursor of Cu is dissolved in CO2 in a high pressure cell containing a substrate. 2)Helium gas is added to the pressure vessel slowly displacing the CO2 fluid mixture leaving a film of organometallic containing solute on the substrate. 3) the pressure of the system is dropped by 10 atm facilitating evaporation of CO2 from the surface film, and 4) 10 atm of H2 gas is added to the pressure vessel to reduce the metallic species from oxidation state Cu(II) to Cu(0) leaving a metallic film. 5) the pressure vessel is then refilled with the CO2/organometallic mixture displacing the helium/H2 gas followed again by 6)slow helium displacement and 7) H2 reduction. This process is repeated several times.

[0149] The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention, and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein. 

That which is claimed is:
 1. A method of displacing a supercritical fluid from a pressure vessel, comprising the steps of: providing an enclosed pressure vessel containing a supercritical fluid, said supercritical fluid comprising carbon dioxide; adding a second fluid to said vessel, with said second fluid being added at a pressure greater than the pressure of said supercritical fluid, and with said second fluid having a density less than that of said supercritical fluid; forming an interface between said supercritical fluid and said second fluid; and displacing at least a portion of said supercritical fluid from said vessel with the pressure of said second fluid while maintaining said interface therebetween.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said interface is a visible interface.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said interface is an optically detectable interface.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said supercritical fluid comprises at least 50% by weight carbon dioxide.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said second fluid comprises a supercritical fluid.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said second fluid comprises at least 50% by weight helium.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said second fluid consists essentially of helium.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein said vessel contains an article to be cleaned and said supercritical fluid further comprises a cleaning agent.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said vessel contains an article to be coated and said supercritical fluid further comprises a coating component.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein said vessel is a polymerization vessel, and said supercritical fluid further comprises a polymer.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein said vessel contains a composition from which at least one compound is to be extracted, and said supercritical fluid further comprises at least one compound extracted from said compound.
 12. A method of displacing a supercritical fluid from a pressure vessel, comprising the steps of: providing an enclosed pressure vessel containing a supercritical fluid, said supercritical fluid comprising carbon dioxide; adding a second fluid to said vessel, with said second fluid being added at a pressure greater than the pressure of said supercritical fluid, and with said second fluid having a density less than that of said supercritical fluid; forming an interface between said supercritical fluid and said second fluid, wherein said vessel has a length dimension along which said supercritical fluid is displaced, and wherein said interface has a thickness of not more than about ten percent of said length dimension; and displacing at least a portion of said supercritical fluid from said vessel with the pressure of said second fluid while maintaining said interface therebetween.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein said interface is a visible interface.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein said interface is an optically detectable interface.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein said supercritical fluid comprises at least 50% by weight carbon dioxide.
 16. The method of claim 12, wherein said second fluid comprises a supercritical fluid.
 17. The method of claim 12, wherein said second fluid comprises at least 50% by weight helium.
 18. The method of claim 12, wherein said second fluid consists essentially of helium.
 19. The method of claim 12, wherein said vessel contains an article to be cleaned and said supercritical fluid further comprises a cleaning agent.
 20. The method of claim 12, wherein said vessel contains an article to be coated and said supercritical fluid further comprises a coating component.
 21. The method of claim 12, wherein said vessel is a polymerization vessel, and said supercritical fluid further comprises a polymer.
 22. The method of claim 12, wherein said vessel contains a composition from which at least one compound is to be extracted, and said supercritical fluid further comprises at least one compound extracted from said compound. 